First things first; everyone’s holiday experiences are different. I am writing this article as a person who comes from a large family who celebrates Christmas. Since I am only familiar with this particular holiday, I feel as though I do not have the authority to touch on holidays such as Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, etc. With that being said, I will be trying to be as general as possible so that people from all holiday traditions can benefit from this.

Alas, the holiday season is here! Cue the hot chocolates and light tours! There’s caroling and ringing bells galore! With the holiday season comes stress for everybody, and for people with depression and anxiety, it can be dilapidating. Gift buying, money spending, spending time with family, and seasonal depression all play a role in the intensity of the holidays. Here are some tips that could help ease your nerves surrounding the upcoming holidays.

1. You do not have to buy gifts

Gift giving can be an immense source of anxiety for some people during the holidays. “Will I have the money to buy everyone a gift?” “What if they hate what I got them?” “I really can’t afford to buy any gifts, what if they hate me?” are all thoughts that are very real for many people. First, you are under no obligation to buy gifts for anyone. Yes, it is a nice thing to do, but if you really are financially struggling, then gift buying is out of the question. Some alternatives would be to get creative, write a poem, or short story as gifts, or any kind of homemade gift or craft is just as good. If you are a parent struggling to get gifts for you children, reach out to your local school district. More than likely their schools do toy drives or even have further resources to places that help families in need over the holiday season.

2. Tune out triggering conversations.

If your family doesn’t understand the concept that some debatable topics are not for the holiday dinner table, tuning out what they are saying can be a difficult task. If you get asked for your opinion, and you find that sharing what you think about the discussion is too much for you, simply decline the offer to share, and stick to it. My favorite personal experience was last Easter, a cousin asked me for my personal opinion on a very recent political topic. My response was simply “this is not a conversation to be had at Easter dinner,” and when they kept pressing, I removed myself from the situation and surrounded myself with people I was comfortable with.

3. Stick with people who are safe

One of my biggest times for holiday anxiety is New Year’s Eve. The drinking, the partying, and my own mental association that something terrible is supposed to happen at the end of a countdown, usually keep me from enjoying myself. So in order for me to keep myself down to at the very least a 6/10 on the anxiety scale, I need to keep a safe person as an anchor in close proximity. Whoever your person may be, a parent, sibling, friend, significant other, aunt, uncle, or your dog, be sure that you trust them fully.

I hope everyone is able to power through their mental illness this holiday season and enjoy themselves!

What are some safe ways that you cope with your mental illness flare-ups during the holidays?